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Saturday, August 24, 2013

Weekend Mini-Challenge: The Fib(onacci)

This weekend, Toads and Toadettes, we will be looking at another
short, syllable counting poetry form, suggested to me (hedgewitch) by our connoisseur of short form, Marian Kent. It's called the Fibonnaci, or Fib, and is based on a mathematical
progression known as the Fibonnaci sequence.

First introduced to the West in the 13th century, and originating in ancient India, the Fibonacci sequence frequently appears in modern art and composition, (perhaps most famously in Dan Brown's pop best-seller The Da Vinci Code) but for those who are either fuzzy about it, or aren’t familiar with it at all , rather
than confuse you with my lack of math comprehension, I'll let wikipedia
explain it (or you may skip directly down to the Challenge section below the video clip, where the specifics are laid out):

"In mathematics, the Fibonacci numbers or Fibonacci
series or Fibonacci sequence are the numbers in the following integer sequence:

0,1,1,2,3,5,8,13,21,34…

By definition, the first two numbers in the Fibonacci
sequence are 0 and 1, and each subsequent number is the sum of the previous
two.

The Fibonacci sequence is named after Leonardo Fibonacci.
His 1202 book Liber Abaci introduced the sequence to Western European
mathematics, although the sequence had been described earlier in Indian
mathematics."

"Fib is an experimental Western poetry form,…based
on the Fibonacci sequence. The typical fib is a six line, 20 syllable poem with
a syllable count by line of 1/1/2/3/5/8 - with as many syllables per line as
the line's corresponding place in the Fibonacci sequence... The only
restriction on a Fib is that the syllable count follow the Fibonacci sequence…"

The Fibonacci sequence is also related to the Golden Ratio, a consonance between mathematics and the aesthetic building blocks of art, also expressed in nature. Here's a video that shows the relationships better than I could explain:

The Challenge: is to write a poem in the Fibonacci form, where the first line contains 1 syllable, the second, 1 syllable (the sum of 0 and 1) the third, 2 syllables (sum of lines 1 and 2) the fourth, 3 syllables (sum of lines 2 and 3) the fifth, 5 syllables (sum of lines 3 and 4) the final line, 8 syllables (sum of lines 4 and 5) ending with a six line, 20 syllable poem all told. Alternatively, you can follow the same blueprint above
using a word count instead of a syllable count, which may give more
scope to your poem.

It's quite possible to continue on in the sequence(13,21,34,55,89, etc) but it tends to get unwieldy rapidly after a certain point.

You can also, as with the nonet, etheree, etc, reverse the sequence after 8 syllables or words:
1/1/2/3/5/8/8/5/3/2/1/1
for a 12 line poem if you so desire, or write several linked Fibs. Feel free to be as creative in the arrangements as you'd like, so long as the form is clearly present.

Free Verse: For those not inspired by the constraints of form, as always there is the free verse option, with the challenge being to write to any of these suggestions:

the top photo of the nautilus shell (an example of the sequence in nature)

any other example(s) of the Fibonacci sequence/ the golden ratio in art or nature

Fibonacci himself

the origins of the sequence in ancient India

any similar such tie-in with the theme that sparks your fancy

In the spirit of both the Fibonacci sequence and the 'mini' part of the mini-challenge, please keep your free verse poem to 5, 8, 13 or at most 21 lines, and as always, for both form and free verse, please write a new poem for the challenge. (Also as always, if you use the photo at the top, please include attribution.)

Above all, enjoy the challenge and explore it's little mathematical and historical nooks and crannies, even if for you like me, mathematics can seem a deep and abiding mystery---after all, so is poetry.

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Footnote: Not long after choosing this subject for the mini-challenge in July, many will know I took a hiatus from blogging. After writing this up, I found out that during that time, Tony Maude at dVerse Poet's Pub had done a prompt on Mathematical Forms, in which he covers the Fibonacci. I apologize to those who have already done this form there, and for this challenge coming right on the heels of his--it was a complete random coincidence.

I've used this form for a long time (well, my interest in math makes such discoveries inevitable). I do not have an example near me as some are n storage and so many lost... so I post a small video of my song "Lost in Your Troubled Dreams" just for a record meant for friends and family really to learn the camera. I left the face dancing in and added a line of 8 toward the ending.

oh Hedgewitch, you know i love the fibonacci and i can't believe we haven't done it here at RT yet. really now!having a very busy weekend but i should be able to bang out at least one of these in the next day or so. i have yet to respond to Margaret's prompt either, but i have in mind to do both.

I haven't written in this form for a very long time. It seemed to suit my strange mood beginning yesterday and lingering to today. I was even tempted to write a second fib about synchronicity, but thought I may be weathering the mood too much. So I let it be just the one.

Great, HW, you're feeding my addiction. :). Seriously, I've been driving around and sound out 1,1,2,3,5 - the next drivers must think I'm singing or something. Now to come up with something new (I've posted several fib's the last couple weeks, since Tony Maude put the iron to dVerse.) ~ M

Hey Joy - thanks for the super interesting challenge and for the wonderful samples of your own that you posted. This is a very odd form for me - just not the type of thing I normally do--but I much enjoyed. Also sorry for my weird commenting--I really am not at my most clear headed--first freeish day in a long while and not at my best but happy. Thanks again for your inspiration and to all you wonderful toads too. k.

Thank you Joy and Marian! I am so behind, I think I might try the syllable count on Monday! I had fun doing a free verse style. I going to comment on and then go back and play some catch up! I hope everyone is doing well~ :D

@Marian--so glad you mentioned this--I'm really enjoying working with it.@K--I loved the way yours seemed like a web itself, with --taking the spider's POV--lots of tasty bits caught in it. Glad you are feeling the happy.

This was fun. I seem to work well around midnight. I've always been a night person, like my father, and the words seem to come in the quiet dark.Of course I had fun with it, too.I hope you'll excuse my use of your doppelganger.K

Marian, just so you know, I'm reading all your poems and still gasp and applaud each time. I wish you could hear me. I'm sorry to not share my thoughts with you each time, but your poetry never wavers in excellence. Not in my opinion anyway.

Thank you, Joy, for sharing such a lovely poetry form. I learned something new! I found it challenging and rewrote my poem several times last night. Came back to it with fresh eyes this morning and it's finally linked. Thanks for the inspiration! :)

Thanks for this introduction of a new poem form (for me) I whipped it out and am now off to finish buying school supplies. Nothing like leaving it to the last minute. I'm sure only the "ugly" lunch boxes are left...

@Susie--I'm not sure exactly what you did, but you got a very good poem out of it and that's what really 'counts' :_)

@grapeling--I always feel lucky when Fireblossom turns her hand to one of my form challenges--especially one where you have to count syllables and where some might say it was even sort of like a hai...hai-you-know-what. And I thank both you and Marian for making me feel so much less fibonacci-dependent.

@Kay--I'm still laughing from your comment at my place.

Everyone, just a thank you for all the enjoyment I've gotten from your entries. Your participation is what makes the Garden the exceptional little pond it is, where we each can hang out on our own personal lilypad and share the flies....or something. ;_)Thanks again!